Cory Hand, Women's Soccer Head Coach

Cory Hand enters his fifth season at the helm of the George Fox women’s soccer team for the 2017 season.

Since being at the helm of the Bruins Women’s Soccer program, Hand has recruited players that have come from Collegiate National Champions, Club National Champions, Club State Champions from six different states, and players recognized at the regional level of ODP. Within his first couple of years, he has had several players recognized for their all-Conference accolades including the only Freshmen to receive honors from the conference in 2015 in Savannah Moisan and a NWC Player of the Year in Alyssa Montero (who went on after graduating from GFU to play in the WPSL alongside some of the best players in the country).

In the 2016 season, Hand led the Bruins to a 3-14-3 overall record with a 3-11-2 conference record. Eight of the Bruins 14 losses came by a one goal differential.

In 2015, Hand directed the Bruins to a 5-13-2 overall record with a 3-12-1 record in the NWC. The Bruins went 3-14-3 in 2014 with a NWC record of 3-12-1.

After graduating from Wilsonville (Ore.) High School, Hand went to Whitworth University in 2001 before injuries ended his own soccer-playing days. He began his career as a staff coach for Portland City United from 2001-06 before becoming an assistant coach at Wilsonville High School a few years later. He created and ran his own goalkeeper academy before he started coaching for the Westside Timbers Soccer Club in 2006, where he now serves as the head coach. While coaching at Westside Timbers Soccer club, Hand has led the team to state and regional championships, and has developed athletes who have gone on to receive national recognition. Players from his club teams have gone on to compete at every level of college soccer.

While serving as the head coach of the Westside Timbers Women's Premier Soccer League team, Hand has been able to work with former U.S. U20 World Cup Champions and players from top NCAA Division I universities in the nation. The WPSL is a 60-plus team national pro-am league and is the largest women’s soccer league in the world.

Hand has helped partner with the Portland Thorns (Professional Soccer team competing in the NWSL, players on Thorns Roster include Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath, Nadine Angerer, Chrstine Sinclaire and other international All-Stars/Word Champions). In this position, Hand brings players in from all over the United States to play on his Semi-Pro/Amateur women’s soccer team, and gives them the opportunity to practice with the Portland Thorns or eventually become signed. Four of his players so far have gone on to sign and play at the highest level from this team.

Outside of coaching at George Fox University Hand currently works with the U.S. National Staff as part of the Oregon based U.S. Training Center where small select group of athletes are identified in their club environment and invited by the U.S. National team to train once a month by the U.S. Training Center Staff. This is a direct pipeline to be invited into the U.S. National Team Camps.

Hand also works in the summer for the Olympic Development Program (ODP) Regional Camps. At these camps players are invited from their State ODP teams to be selected to train for a weeklong tryout in hopes of making the ODP Regional team, one step below the national team.

"Coaching, for me, is more than just a game; it is a conduit to help young athletes understand and explore their God-given talents and abilities, to learn how to express those skills in life, and to disciple young people into spiritual maturity. George Fox, as a Christian institution, has the same values I have, with a desire to minister to students not just in their athletic pursuits but in every aspect of life, and I am excited about this new opportunity to pursue my passion for both soccer and discipleship at the college level."

Hand earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Leadership in Ministry from Multnomah Bible College in 2012. He and his wife, the former Samara Thornburg, who played women's soccer at George Fox from 1999-2000, attend Grace Chapel in Wilsonville and have a Four-year-old son, Ezra.